Meyers Delivers Walk-Off Win, 5-4
August 20, 2014 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Lowell Spinners News Release
LOWELL, MASS. - Down a run in the ninth inning, the Lowell Spinners found themselves in a familiar role. For the third time in their last five home wins, the Spinners were walk-off victors, tying the game with some heads-up baseball by Mauricio Dubon and winning on a walk-off single by Mike Meyers, topping the Connecticut Tigers, 5-4, Wednesday night at LeLacheur Park. The win was played in front of a season-high 5,301 fans on the "Artie T. Party" for Market Basket employees.
Connecticut (34-30) got out to a first inning lead on a two-out rally. Joseph Pankake, who seems to enjoy playing in front of the LeLacheur Park faithful, singled through the hole and Michael Gerber followed with a double to center, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Lowell (31-32) pulled even in the fifth inning after Cisco Tellez led off the inning with a double to center. After two quick outs, Bryan Hudson singled on a groundball up the middle and Tellez came around to score when Tellez booted the ball. After a Mauricio Dubon single and Jordan Betts walk loaded the bases, the Spinners had a chance to take the lead, but Nick Moore went down on strikes as the opportunity went by the wayside.
The Tigers took advantage in the top half of the sixth inning after Mario Alcantara came on in relief. Derek Hill reached on an infield single to lead off the inning and Pankake followed with a single up the middle and Gerber brought them both in with a triple to the wall in centerfield. A sacrifice fly by Kasey Coffman scored Gerber to give Connecticut the three-run lead.
The Spinners would chip away at the lead in the seventh. Raymel Flores got the inning started with a single off the pitcher and stole second base. After a Hudson walk, a throwing error by Tim Remes, trying to pick Flores off at second allowing both men to advance into scoring position. A Dubon sacrifice fly and Betts RBI double pulled the Spinners within a run, but the Tigers went to the bullpen and struck out a pair to end the inning.
The top of the ninth ended with Hudson gunning down Remes at home plate, after David Sopilka, who had just entered the game, went across the plate to make the catch and back to make the tag, keeping the Spinners within a run setting the stage for Lowell.
Dubon made an instinctive read and dropped down a bunt single after Steven Fuentes took three steps back onto the dirt. Betts followed with a single through the hole as the Spinners played station-to-station baseball. With Nick Moore at the plate, a wild pitch by Gabe Hemmer moved Dubon to third and Remes throw bounced over Fuentes head, allowing Dubon to race home with the tying run. After Moore struck out, Meyers hit a line shot just over the outstretched glove of a leaping Brett Pirtle at second, scoring Betts and sending the Spinners racing onto the field, 5-4 winners.
Offensively, the Spinners had 12 hits, led by three-hit games from the returning All-Stars, Dubon and Betts. Hudson also had two hits, as the top three hitters in the Lowell line-up combined to go 8-for-12.
Reed Reilly started for the Spinners and was fantastic, throwing four scoreless after the Tigers got to him for a run in the first, striking out four while allowing four hits. Alcantara was touched for the three runs in his lone inning of work. Rob Smorol pitched a scoreless seventh but left after two pitches in the eighth inning. Ellis Jimenez (4-2, 3.90) came on in relief and picked up six outs, allowing two hits while striking out one.
The win brought the Spinners within a game of .500 and 3.5 of the Wild Card leading Brooklyn Cyclones, who lost Wednesday night. The team concludes the brief two-game set with the Tigers with Thursday's 7:05 first pitch. Jeffry Fernandez (0-1, 5.79) makes his LeLacheur Park debut on Johnny Boychuk Bobble Head Giveaway Night.
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